Two-for-one twisting apparatus



June 18, 1957 F. R. BORGES, JR 2,795,924

' TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING APPARATUS Filed May 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l I FIG. -I-

INVENTOR. FRA NK R. BO RG ES,JF

ATTORNEY June 18, 1957 F. R. BORGES, JR 2,795,924

TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING APPARATUS Filed may 26, 1955 v 2 Sheets Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY FRANK R. BORGES, JR.

TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING APPARATUS Frank R. Borges, Jr., Somerset, Mass, assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, near Pendleton, S. C., a corporation of Delaware Application May 26, 1955, Serial No. 511,319

13 Claims. (Cl. 57-5836) This invention relates to yarn twisting apparatus of the outflow two-for-one type and more particularly to yarn twisting apparatus embodying a novel tension control means.

Two-for-one twisters of the outflow type are well known in the art and generally comprise a rotatable spindle supporting a normally non-rotating platform which in turn is provided with a cylindrical member for centrally supporting a yarn bobbin or the like. The cylindrical member, in addition to holding the yarn supply, conventionally serves as a housing for a tension regulating means and as a support for an annular guide positioned on the unsupported end of the member. The spindle is constructed to receive a yarn end passed from the bobbin or the like through the annular guide to the tension regulating means and to rotate the strand of yarn in the form of a yarn balloon between a fiyer or the like carried by the spindle and an apex guide positioned on the extended axis of rotation of the spindle.

While the tension regulator positioned within the cylindrical member may vary in construction details, in almost all instances it comprises a first yarn engaging member, a second yarn engaging member relatively movable with respect to said first member, and biasing means urging said yarn engaging members into contact with each other.

Since the twisting apparatus for reasons of utility must be designed to handle difierent types and sizes of yarn, the regulator must include adjusting means for varying the force with which the yarn engaging members are biased together and the adjusting means must include manipulative means positioned externally of the cylindrical member so that dismantling of the apparatus to vary the biasing force is not necessary. The tension regulator ber, which increases its intertia and reduces the efficiency of the yarn tensioning device. In fact, in some prior art devices the opening means is operatively connected to the movable yarn engaging member at all times so that the operating friction and inertia of the entire opening means must be overcome in order for the regulating devices to compensate for changes in yarn tension.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a two-for-one twister embodying a tension regulating means which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art apparatus as set forth above.

It is another object of the invention to provide a yarn tension regulating device, for the cylindrical member of a two-for-one twister, wherein the manipulative means for the 'opening and adjusting devices serves to at least partial-ly enclose the operating parts of the regulating apparatus which have heretofore been exposed to the lint and fly normally present in the vicinity of the twisting apparatus.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a yarn tension regulating apparatus having a comm-on and readily accessible manipulative means for both the opening and adjusting devices which manipulative means acts to open the yarn engaging elements of the regulator upon the application of a force along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member and serves to operate the adjusting means upon rotational movement.

These as well as other objects of the invention are accomplished by the combination with a twisting apparatus including a rotatable spindle means, a yarn package support means including a tubular member for centrally supporting a yarn package, a yarn tension regulator posi tioned within said tubular member, said tension regulator including a first yarn engaging member and a second yarn engaging member movable with respect to said first member, of an annular member circumscribing the upper end must also be provided with opening means for separating the two members for purposes of threading and the opening means must likewise include manipulative means positioned externally of the cylindrical member.

Prior to this invention, the tension regulators employed in the cylindrical members of outflow two-for-one twisters have not been completely satisfactory in all respects, and in particular with respect to the opening and adjusting means. For example, in many instances the manipulative means for either the opening means or the adjusting means has not been readily accessible, once a bobbin or yarn supply has been placed on the spindle, or has resulted in protruding irregular members which tend to snag the yarn or collect lint and fly. In other instances, the opening and adjusting means have resulted in alignment difliculties during the assembly of the tension regulatin apparatus or have required an annular guide of an inefficient shape. In some instances, the opening and regulating means have been erratic in action and have required exposed operating parts, the operation of which becomes impaired by the collection of lint or the like. In still other instances the manipulative means for the opening apparatus has required two hands for operation, which is quite undesirable Y since one hand is needed for threading the yarn through of said tubular member. Opening and adjusting means are provided such that the annular member can serve as a manipulative means for either or both.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanied drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation'al view of a two-for-one twisting apparatus according to this invention with parts broken away and in section to show details of construction and with parts of the tension regulating means omitted for clarity.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the upper end of the cylindrical member of the twister of Figure 1 with parts broken away to show details of construction.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view, taken substantially along the line 33 of Figure 4 of the drawings, of the cylindrical member of the twister of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cylindrica member taken along line 44 of Figure 3.

With reference to the drawings in greater detail, there is illustrated in Figure 1 a spindle array designed to be mounted on the spindle rail of a twister frame. .The

i -atented June 18, 1957 3 11 and adapted for rotation with respect thereto by virtue of a ball bearingorthelike 15 is a platform partially visible at the reference numeral 16. Means comprising an eccentrically positioned weight or a magnet acting upon the platform 16 or part of the structure supported thereby, is conventionally provided for preventing rotation of the platform during operation of the spindle.

Carried by the platform 16 and extending at approximately right angles to the surface thereof is a cylindrical member 17 which is adapted to serve as a central support for a yarn bobbin 18 or the like containing a supply of yarn 19 and which, in addition, provides a yarn path to the passageway 13 in spindle 11 for a yarn end 20 drawn from the supply on bobbin 18. The spindle 11 is illustrated as being provided with a conventional yarn storage device 21 and a disc-shaped flyer 22 for rotating the strand of yarn issuing from passageway 13 through orifice 14 in the form of a balloon between the yarn storage device 21 and an apex guide indicated by the reference numeral 23. The twisted yarn is thereafter withdrawn from the yarn balloon through apex guide 23 by a conventional take-up means, not illustrated.

The cylindrical member 17 is illustrated as comprising a first tubular section 24, which is directly carried by the support platform 16, and a second tubular section which extends downwardly within the section 24 and is retained by means of threads at 26. The tubular section 25 has an upper extension 27 of reduced diameter which supports an annular yarn guide or cap 28 having a centrally disposed yarn passageway 29. The yarn guide 28 in this instance is illustrated as having the general shape of a truncated cone with a base of slightly larger diameter than the upper end of extension 27 and is retained in position by means of a cylindrical protrusion 30 on the base of the guide which extends within extension 27 and frictionally engages the inner wall thereof. It will be apparent, however, that the annular guide can have any desired shape and it is an advantage of the invention that it need perform no function other than to guide the yarn end 20 into cylindrical member 17.

Positioned within tubular section 25 near its lower extremity and carried thereby is a support member 31 having a centrally disposed bore at 32. A yarn guide tube 33, centrally disposed with respect to tubular section 25 and having one end fitted into bore 32, is carried by member 31 and extends upwardly therefrom. A yarn tension regulating device, generally indicated by the reference number 34 (see Figures 3 and 4) is also carried by the tubular section 25 and is, except for a few of its elements, positioned within the section25 between the base of cap 28 and the upper face of support member 31.

The tension regulating device 34 comprises a first yarn engaging member 35 which is secured to the inner wall of tubular section 25 by any suitable means such as by means of screws 36, only one of which is visible, and a second yarn engaging member 37 supported by an elongated pivot arm 38. The first yarn engaging member 35 is illustrated as comprising an element having'a'plurality of horizontally extending protruding members39 which are evenly spaced and parallel to each other. The second yarn engaging member 37 is illustrated as comprising a pair of support arms 40 and 41 which longitudinally of tubular section 25 and which support a plurality of horizontally disposed cylindrical members 42. The members 42 are arranged parallel to each other and are spaced to intermesh with the protrusions 39 on the first yarn engaging member. This construction is preferred since it causes the yarn end to follow an increasingly tortuous'path as the two yarn engaging members are brought into intermeshing relationship and generally permits a wider range and more uniform tension regulation than is possible with flat-surfaced members.

Extending horizontally across the bore of tubular section 25 immediately below the base of annular guide 28, are a pair of support rods 43 and 44 which slideably supextend generally port a small rectangular plate member 45. The plate member 45 constitutes one element 'of a pretensioning de vice which is also a part of the tension regulating means. A second small rectangular plate 46, carried by a pair of bracket members 47 and 48 on the upper part of the yarn engaging member 37, constitutes the second element of the pretensioning device and cooperates with the plate 45 to pretension a yarn end passed therebetween. An elongated leaf spring 49 carried by the inner wall of extension 27, bears against plate 45 and normally urges it into contact with the second plate member 46.

Secured to the lower extremity of pivot arm 38 by any suitable means such as by screws 50, is a bifurcated plate member 51 with the extremities of the two legs sharpened to form knife edges at 52 and 53. The annular member 31 is provided with a pair of horizontally disposed grooves on either side of the base of yarn guide tube 33 which are adapted to receive the knife edges 52 and 53, and it will be seen that this arrangement provides for limited pivotal movement of yarn engaging member 37 about the axis of the knife edges 52 and 53.

The extension 27 is provided with a set of external threads 54 adjacent its supported end which mate with the threads in an internally threaded annular collar 55. The annular collar 55 has a depending annular extension 56 which is provided with a re-entrant groove 57 near the base thereof, and slideably positioned in groove 57 is a matching tongue 58 extending from an arcuate member 59. Arcuate member 59 extends transversely across a longitudinally extending slot 60 in extension 27 with its ends contacting the edges of the slot to prevent its rotation with annular collar 55 while permitting movement along the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17. The arcuate member 59 is provided with a pivot seat 61 which is adapted to receive a pivot stem or the like and which faces in a generally downwardly direction. The pivot arm 38 carries a small block 62 which is provided with an upwardly facing pivot seat 63 generally aligned with the pivot seat in arcuate member 59, and extending between the two pivot seats is an extensible member 64 having pivot stems 65 and 66 on either end thereof. The extensible member 64 carries a coil spring 67 which urges its elongation and which urges arm 38 to pivot and thereby move yarn engaging member 37 into contact with yarn engaging member 35. The particular construction of the extensible member 64 constitutes no part of the present invention but is claimed and described in co-pending U. S. application, SN 450,591, filed August 18, 1954, reference to which may be had for further details of con struction.

:Circumscribing the upper extremity of tubular section 25 andv enclosing annular collar 55, is a tubular skirt 68 which has an upwardly extending portion '69 of reduced diameter. The skirt member is illustrated as having a maximum outside diameter slightly smaller than that of section 24, so that it can freely extend into. the bore of the bobbin 18. The skirt should terminate short of the base of extension 27 so that it can be moved longitudinally but should be of sufficient length to engage collar 55, and it is an advantage of the invention that the skirt 68 can readily be made long enough to act as a shield or cover for parts of the tension regulator which have heretofore been exposed. Disposed within the portion 69 of skirt 68 is an inwardly extending flange 70, here illustrated as being a separately formed annular member secured in position by friction fit but which may be formed integrally if desired. The lower face of flange 70 is provided with evenly spaced protrusions. or teeth 71, for reasons which will subsequently become apparent, while the inner surface of the flange is smoothly polished and slideably engages the exterior surface of the upper extremity of extension 27 which is also smoothly polished to. permit free movement of the skirt member. The skirt member. 68 is additionally provided with longitudinally extending slots 72 which engage protrusions such as the greasedheads of screws 73, carried by the internally threaded annular collar 55 and thereby permit skirt member 68 to be moved along the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17 independently of collar 55 but insure rotation of collar 55 when skirt member 68 is rotated. Therefore, when skirt 68 is rotated, collar 55 moves lengthwise of the cylindrical member 17 by virtue of threads 54 and thereby changes the degree of compression of spring 67, and this makes it possible for one to readily adjust the tension imparted to yarn end 20 by tension regulator 34.

Extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17 is a motion transfer rod 74 which is slideably positioned in a suitable bore 75 in the wall of tubular section 25 and which extends inside the tubular section 25 near the base of extension 27. Tubular section 25 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 76 which intersects the bore 75 in the wall of tubular member 25 and is adapted to receive the head of a small screw member 77 carried by rod 74. This arrangement prevents rotational movement of the motion transfer rod 74 while permitting longitudinal movement thereof. Secured to the lower end of motion transfer rod 74 by any suitable means such as by screws 78 and 79, is a wedge cam member 80 having a downwardly extending portion 81 with a downwardly facing spring seat illustrated at 82. A small pin 83 inserted in a suitable bore in support member 31 extends upwardly from the face thereof and a helical spring 84 is positioned around pin 83 and extends into spring seat 82. The spring 84 urges the upward movement of transfer rod 74 so that its upper end forceably contacts the notched abutment created by the base of flange 70, and this in turn urges skirt member 68 to move along the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17 until its upper edge is in contact with the base of annular yarn guide 28.

Annular member 31 is provided with a pair of upstanding tabs 85, only one of which is shown, and pivotably secured between tabs 85 by means of a small pin 86 is a lever means generally indicated by the reference numeral 87. Lever means 87 comprises a bifurcated member having a pair of spaced-parallel angular arms 88 with first portions 90 extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17 and with second portions 92 extending generally transversely of the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17 on either side of the yarn guide tube 33. A cylindrical cam follower 94 adapted to engage the surface of wedge cam 80, extends between the first portions of arms 88 and is rotatably supported thereby. A small helical spring 95 is positioned with one end resting against yarn guide tube 33 and the other against lever means 87 to urge the lever means to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 of the drawings to thereby normally retain cam follower 94 in contact with wedge cam 80.

Secured between the unsupported ends of arms 88 by any suitable means, such as by press fit into suitable bores in the arm members, is a cylindrical member 96 which extends generally transversely of the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member 17 and is positioned on the opposite side of yarn guide tube 33 from cam follower 94. The yarn guide tube 33 is provided with an indented and flattened face 97 near its upper end and contact of member 96 with face 97 prevents lever 87 from being rotated an unnecessary extent by spring means 95 while permitting the ends of arms 88 to be moved completely out of contact with the pivot arm 38 when motion transfer rod 74 is in its uppermost position. When, however, motion transfer rod 74 is depressed against the bias of spring 84, wedge cam 80 acts upon cam follower 94 to pivot lever means 87 to thereby bring the rounded ends of arms 88 to bear against pivot arm 38 and thereby force the movable yarn engaging member 37 out of contact with fixed yarn engaging member 35.

In the event that pivot arm 38 is pivoted in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 of the drawings to such an extent that the force exerted by extensible member 64 has no component in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17, there is provided a small leaf spring 98 which is secured to annular member 31 by any suitable means such as screw 99. Spring member 98 is normally out of contact with pivot arm 38 but when the arm is pivoted past a selected point, the upper end of spring 98 contacts pivot arm 38 and urges counterclockwise rotation thereof as viewed in Figure 3 of the drawings.

To prevent the yarn in the yarn balloon from becoming entangled with the yarn as it is fed from bobbin 18 into guide 28, there is provided a cover 100 constructed to generally conform to the shape of the balloon. The cover can be made of any suitable material but is preferably formed from transparent plastic so that the bobbin 18 and the yarn end being drawn therefrom are visible at all times.

In view of the description of the apparatus in the preceding paragraphs, it will be apparent that skirt 68, rod 74, wedge cam 80, and lever means 87 comprise the opening means for the tension regulator while skirt 68 and collar 55 comprise the adjusting means. It will be seen that both means are positive in operation and that the skirt 68, which serves as the manipulative means for is then passed downwardly through the passageway 29,

in annular guide 28. With one hand, the operator exerts a force on skirt member 68 downwardly along the longitudinal axis of cylindrical member 17 which thereby sepa rates movable yarn engaging member 37 from fixed yarn engaging member 35 to allow passage of the threading tool therebetween; It is an advantage that only one hand is required to manipulate the opening means since this leaves one hand free to guide the yarn threading tool downwardly between the yarn engaging elements. It is a further advantage that the force required for opening the yarn engaging elements is exerted along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member so that there is no possibility of forcing the yarn support platform out of properalignment.

After passage between the yarn engaging elements, the threading tool is passed into yarn guide tube 33 and thereafter into passageway 13 in spindle 11 and out orifice 14. The threading tool is then removed from the yarn end'and the end is drawn by hand around disc fiyer 22, through apex guide 23 and to the take-up means. The tension necessary for drawing the yarn end can be noted and an approximate adjustment of the tension regulating means made by rotation of skirt member 68 to thereby rotate annular collar 55 and increase or decrease the compression of spring 67. The cover 100 is then placed on platform 16 and the spindle is placed in operation. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, if the balloon is too tight or too large, further adjustment of the tension regulating means will be necessary and this is accomplihed-by stopping the spindle and decreasing or increasing the amount of tension imparted to the yarn by regulator means 34 until by trial and error the most satisfactory value is obtained. Once, however, the tension regulator 34 is set to impart the proper tension, it need not be further disturbed until the type of yarn being employed is changed, since the opening means operates entirely independently of the adjusting means and .the spindle may be readily threaded without upsetting the adjustment of the tension regulator. The possibility of accidently disturbing the adjustment of the tension regulator is minimized by the toothed lower surface on flange 70, since in order for the skirt 68 to be rotated, it is necessary for rod 74 to be slightly depressed against the bias of spring 84 each time one of the protrusions on the flange is passed over the upper end of the rod.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, a yarn package support means including a tubular member, supported at one end, for centrally supporting a yarn package, a yarn tension regulator including a pair of relatively movable yarn engaging members positioned inside said tubular member, and biasing means urging said members into operative engagement; of an annular skirt circumscribing said tubular member adjacent the unsupported end thereof, means responsive to rotation of said annular skirt for varying the force with which said yarn engaging members are operatively biased together, opening means operative upon movement of said annular skirt along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member to separate said yarn engaging members, and resilient means to normally retain said annular skirt in a position such that said opening means is inoperative.

2. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, a yarn package support means including a tubular member, supported at one end, for centrally supporting a yarn package, a yarn tension regulator including a pair of relatively movable yarn engaging members positioned'inside said tubular member, and biasing means urging contact of said members with each other; of an annular skirt circumscribing said tubular member adjacent the unsupported end thereof, lever means operative upon pivotal movement to separate said yarn engaging members, resilient means normally retaining said lever means out of operative engagement with said yarn engaging members, a motion transfer rod extending into said tubular member and operative upon longitudinal movement thereof to pivot said lever means against the bias of said resilient means, said transfer rod having one end operatively engaging said annular skirt member, whereby said lever means is pivoted to separate said yarn engaging members upon movement of said annular skirt longitudinally of said tubular member, and means responsive to rotation of said annular skirt for varying the force with which said biasing means urges operative engagement of said yarn engaging members.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said one end of said motion transfer rod engages a toothed abutment carried by said annular skint, whereby said skirt is yieldably restrained against rotation.

4. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, a yarn package support means includinga tubular member for centrally supporting a yarn package, a yarn tension regulator including a pair of relatively movable yarn engaging members positioned inside said tubular member, and biasing means urging contact of said members with each other; of an annular collar circumscribing the periphery of said tubular member in threadwise engagement therewith, an elongated annular skirt circumscribing said annular collar, said annular skirt having a portion of reduced inside diameter slideably engaging said tubular member, and said skirt having at least one longitudinally extending slot therein, a protrusion on said annular collar extending into said slot to thereby insure rotation of said collar with said skirt while permitting movement of said skirt along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member independentlyof said collar, means responsive to the threadwise movement of said collar along the longitudinal axis of i said tubular member for varying the force with which said yarn engaging members are operatively biased together, opening means operative upon movement of said annular skirt along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member to separate said yarn engaging members, and resilient means to normally retain said annular skirt in a position such that said opening means is inoperative.

5. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, of a normally non-rotating yarn package support means carried by said spindle means and including a tubular member, supported atone end, for centrally supporting a yarn package, said tubular member having an extension of reduced section, said extension having a portion adjacent the unsupported end thereof with a generally smooth external surface and an externally threaded portion adjacent the supported end thereof, an annular, internally threaded collar carried by said threaded portion of said extension, an annular skirt member circumscribing said collar, said skirt member having at least one elongated slot extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, means carried by said skirt to slideably engage said smooth portion of said extension and retain said skirt member in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, a yarn tension regulator including a fixed yarn engaging member and a movable yarn engaging member positioned inside said tubular member, biasing means urging said movable member into contact with said fixed member, means efiective upon rotation of said collar to vary the force with wln'ch said biasing means urges said movable member toward said fixed member, at least one protruding member carried by said collar and extending into the slot in said skirt member so that said collar is rotated upon rotation of said skirt member, a motion transfer rod positioned generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and extending into said tubular member adjacent the base of said extension,

opening means operative upon longitudinal movement of said rod to separate said movable member from said fixed member against the force of said biasing means, an internal annular abutment carried by said skirt member and positioned to .operatively engage one end of said motion transfer rod, and resilient means urging said rod toa position such that said one end is in contact with said annular abutment and such that said opening means is inoperative.

6. A combination according to claim 5 wherein the face of said abutment in contact with said one end of said rod is provided with a plurality of evenly spaced protrusions to yieldably secure said skirt member against accidental rotation. I

7. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, of a normally non-rotating yarn package support means carried by said spindle means and including a tubular member, supported atone end, for centrally supporting a yarn package, said tubular member having an extension of reduced section and said extension having a portion adjacent its unsupported end with a generally smooth external surface, an annular skirt member circumscribing said extension and slideably engaging said smooth surfaced portion, a yarn tension regulator including a fixed yarn engaging member and a movable yarn engaging member positioned inside said tubular member, biasing means urging said movable member into contact With said fixed member, lever means pivoted within said tubular member to operatively engage said movable yarn engaging member and thereby separate said movable member from said fixed member, biasing means normally retaining said lever means out of contact with-said movable member, an elongated motion transfer rod extending into said tubular member adjacent the base of said extension and operative upon longitudinal movement thereof to pivot said lever means into engagement with said movable member, said motion transfer rod having one end operatively engaging said annular skirt, whereby upon movement of said annular skirt along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member said movable yarn engaging member is separated from said fixed yarn engaging member.

8. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, of a normally rotating yarn package support means carried by said spindle means and including a tubular member, supported at one end, for centrally supporting a yarn package, said tubular member having an extension of reduced section and said extension having an externally positioned support surface adjacent the unsupported end thereof, an elongated annular skirt circumscribing said extension and slideably engaging said support surface, a yarn tension regulator including a pair of relatively movable yarn engaging members positioned within said tubular member, opening means operative upon movement of said skirt along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member to separate said yarn engaging members, and biasing means normally retaining said opening means out of operative engagement with said yarn engaging members.

9. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, a normally nonrotating yarn package support carried by said spindle means and including a tubular member for centrally supporting a yarn package, and a yarn tension regulator including a pair of relatively movable yarn engaging members positioned inside said tubular member; of lever means pivoted at one end, said lever means acting upon pivotal movement thereof to engage at least one of said yarn engaging members and to separate said yarn engaging members for purposes of threading, an elongated motion transfer member extending into said tubular member, said transfer member upon longitudinal movement thereof acting to pivot said lever means, resilient means normally retaining said lever means out of operative engagement with said yarn engaging members, and manipulative means positioned externally of said tubular member and operatively engaging said transfer member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said manipulative means comprises an elongated annular skirt circumscribing said tubular member and slideably engaging the exterior surface of said tubular member.

11. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, anormally non-rotating yarn package support carried by said spindle means and including a tubular member for centrally supporting a yarn package, a yarn tension regulator including a fixed yarn engaging member and a movable yarn engaging member positioned inside said tubular member, said movable member being carried by an elongated pivot arm; of lever means pivoted at one end, said lever means being positioned to contact said pivot arm and separate said movable yarn engaging member from said fixed yarn engaging member when the lever means is pivoted, an elongated motion transfer member extending into said tubular member, said transfer member, upon movement thereof along its longitudinal axis, acting to pivot said lever means, resilient means normally retaining said lever means out of contact with said pivot arm, and manipulative means operatively engaging said transfer member, said manipulative means being positioned externally of said tubular member so that longitudinal movement of said transfer member can be readily effected.

12. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, a yarn package support means including a tubular member for centrally supporting a yarn package, a yarn tension regulator including a fixed yarn engaging member and a movable yarn engaging member positioned inside said tubular member, said movable member being carried by an elongated pivot arm; of lever means pivoted at one end, an elongated motion transfer member extending into said tubular member, a cam follower carried by said lever means, a wedge cam, carried by said transfer member, acting upon said cam follower to pivot said lever means upon movement of said transfer member along its longitudinal axis, said lever means being positioned to contact said pivot arm and separate said movable yarn engaging member from said fixed yarn engaging member when said lever means is pivoted, resilient means normally retaining said lever means out of contact with said pivot arm, and manipulative means operatively engaging said transfer member and positioned externally of said tubular member for readily effecting longitudinal movement of said transfer means.

13. The combination with a two-for-one twister assembly including a rotatable spindle means, a yarn package support means including a tubular member for centrally supporting a yarn package, a yarn tension regulator including a fixed yarn engaging member and a movable yarn engaging member positioned inside said tubular member, said movable member being carried by an elongated pivot arm, and a centrally disposed yarn guide tube positioned in said tubular member adjacent said pivot arm; of lever means positioned in said tubular member and pivoted at one end, said lever means including a pair of spaced angular arms with, in each instance, a first section normally positioned generally along the longitudinal axis of said tubular member and a second section extending generally transversely of the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, the second sections of said angular members being disposed on opposite sides of said yarn guide tube with their unsupported ends positioned to contact said pivot arm when said lever means is pivoted, a cylindrical roller carried between the first sections of said angular members, an elongated motion transfer member extending into said tubular member, a Wedge cam carried by said transfer member to contact said cylindrical roller and pivot said lever means upon longitudinal movement of said transfer member, resilient means normally retaining said lever means out of contact with said pivot arm, and manipulative means operatively engaging said transfer member and positioned externally of said tubular member for readily effecting longitudinal movement of said transfer member to thereby separate said movable yarn engaging member from said fixed yarn engaging member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,397,153 Naumann Mar. 26, 1946 2,556,290 Nelson June 12, 1951 2,556,291 Nelson June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 304,680 Switzerland Apr. 1, 1955 

